Body-elevating mechanism.



T. WRIGHT. BODY BLEVATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1911,

1,059,51 1, Patentd Apr. .22, 191.3.

'LlEO'MAS WRIGHT, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

BODY-ELEVATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 221, 1913.

' Application filed March 11, 1911. Serial No. 613,867.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, THoMAs WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at J e sey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Body-Elevating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanisms for elevating bodies as for instance, wagon bodies and the like and consists in the novel construction and arrangement of itsparts as hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide mechanism of simple and durable'struoture which may be easily and quickly manipulated to elevate a body with relation to a running gear upon which it may be supported so that the contents of the body may be permitted to gravitate from either side thereof, an especial advantage ofsuch an arrangement being in cases where coal is required to be delivered in streets and alleys where space is limited. 7

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of body elevating mechanism with parts shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same with parts broken away and parts in section. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same.

In all of the forms of the invention parallel side beams 1 are provided upon which the body is adapted to rest and means of dilferent forms are provided for elevating the said side beams 1 but all of the said means are supported upon a foundation or chassis frame 2. Vertical standards 3 are mounted upon the frame 2 and serve in part as guides and supports for the elevating mechanism and also as guides and supports for the body mounted upon the beams 1.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, braces, such as side plates 1 are secured to the end portions of the sides of the frame 2 and at their upper portions are secured to the standards 3 and serve as means for bracing the standards 3 in their positions upon the frame 2. The upper edges of the plates 4 converge downwardly from the ends of the frame 2 toward its median line and the said downwardly converging edges of the plates 4 are adapted to serve as means for centering and supporting the forward and rear portions of the bottom of the body. When the body is in its lowermost position it rests upon the beams 1 of the movable frame, it being seen, by referring'particularly to Fi 1, thatthese beams 1 extend above the converging edges of the braces or plates 4. Also as shown in the said figures, the upper ends of the standards 3 are connected together by cross bars 5. The side beams 1 are connected together at their forward and rear ends by cross beams 6, thus forming a movable frame. Screw shafts 7 are journaled at their lower ends upon the frame 2 and at their upper ends in the cross bars 5 and at intermediate points are in threaded engagement with the cross beams 6. Means are provided for rotating the said screw shafts 7 and the means as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 inclusive consists in providing upon the lower portions of the said screw shafts worm wheels 8. A shaft 9 is journaled at its end portions in the ends of the frame 2 and is provided in the vicinity of its ends with worms 10 which mesh with the said worm wheels 8. The shaft 9 is pro vided at one end and beyond the end of the frame 2 with a crank handle 11. Therefore it will be seen that when the shaft 9 is rotated by an operator using the crank 11 that the worm wheels 8 will be rotated which in turn will rotate the screw shafts 7 and thus the beams 1 and 6-with the body resting thereon will be raised or lowered. When the beams and a body resting thereon have been raised to an elevated position the material carried by the body may be permitted to gravitate from the same at either side thereof but as such provision forms no part of the present invention further description thereof is considered unnecessary. Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The combination with a vehicle frame,

l serends of the downwardly and guiding and supporting means fixed relative thereto, of parallel screw shafts dise to the lower end portions of the screw shafts and engaging opposed portions of 1 -e respective worms to hold the longitudinal shaft against lateral displacement and to maintain the worms positively in engagement with the worm wheels, means for rotating the longitudinal shaft to simultaneously. rotate all of the Worm Wheels and screw shafts, and a body su porting frame engaged and supported at its ends b the 6 screw shafts, said frame being extende int-o the guiding and supporting means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

T. EUGENE WRIGHT, JEREMIAH OAmcoHIo. 

